Plutonium Spill Near Plant Hasn't Been Cleaned Up

OTHER NEWS TO NOTE - SOUTH

March 23, 1997

AUGUSTA, GA. — Between 25 and 30 gallons of plutonium-contaminated water spilled onto the ground near a nuclear weapons plant two weeks ago and has not yet been cleaned up, officials said. The March 8 spill at Savannah River Site occurred when a subcontractor failed to follow proper procedures, according to a Department of Energy report obtained by The Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle. No one was injured. Workers were filling an empty tank with a cementlike material when the water began flowing out the top. Workers did not use a rod to check for water and failed to use a kit designed to contain spills, the report said.